Chapter 2- Getting Heard.
The stallion managed a quick pace even with the heavy load and a journey that would have taken hours lasted no more than twenty minutes. Although Jiminy wanted it to stop as soon as it had begun, his miniature umbrella creaking with the weight as he held on.
They arrived at two large red doors and the young Mulan had to jump off the cart to open them. The doors opened onto a gravelly yard and a quaint house with a spiked blue roof sat in the centre. Mulan led the horse in and closed the doors behind the cart as it settled in neatly. Mulan unhinged the horse and fed and watered it in the stables as Jiminy's captor stumbled off and into the house. Jiminy looked down and breathed deeply, the travel sickness slowly ebbing away. He regretted it though as the woman removed her sandals and inspected her blistered feet. Jiminy looked on with horror as she bent to examine a rather nasty looking bunion.
'Ooo. I'll regret that one later.' She padded along the floor boards and Jiminy screeched in protest as she hung his cage from a branch of an indoor plant. It bobbed with the weight and the white dog bundled in yapping around the tree and sniffed and growled at him. 'You leave that cricket alone! He's going help Mulan.'
'But, but I'm not a real cricket madam!' He cried but the only one that seemed to hear him was the dog who tilted his head as he spoke. He had always liked dogs maybe he could get this little one to help him.
'Hey there, Little Brother isn't it?' The dog was sitting in front of him looking up with knowing eyes. He whined and slid forward when his name was mentioned. 'Do you think you can help me out?' The dog just stared at him and he frowned. He felt silly trying to talk to a dog. 'Ah never mind I'll just have to sit here while Gepetto worries about where I am.' Jiminy undid the cuffs of his shirt and slumped, utterly defeated. He whistled an old tune that he would hear around the circus to soothe his nerves. Little Brother barked and grabbed the cage from the branch and Jiminy hooted with triumph as the dog bounded into the garden. Jiminy might have been covered in dog slobber but he didn't care. The dog's white teeth bit into the wood and his wild tongue curled and lashed through the bars. Tipped onto his side he could see both down the dog's throat, which didn't smell too clever, and a half view of the outside. He didn't know where he could go but maybe someone without a hearing problem could help him out. Little Brother circled the yard dust flying in choking clouds. He then leaped onto the cart and placed him on top of the piled bags of grain that had decreased in size since they had arrived.
'Little Brother what are you doing?' Jiminy hissed under his breath. 'Take me to someone else! Or just…oh I don't know.' The dog barked and he thought it was at him but Mulan rounded the corner flecks of grain had dirtied her dress.
'What you got there boy?' She asked ruffling his ears. She jumped and perched on the side of the cart, her feet resting on the wheel.
'An unlucky cricket by the looks of it,' Jiminy complained in a pathetic mutter. Mulan stared wide eyed at him, her mouth agape. She froze not sure if all of her worrying and revising had made her go slightly mad. 'You can hear me? Fantastic! My name is Jiminy and you see…' He couldn't finish because she had fallen off the cart. He was used to it though, it was quite the common reaction. His wings fluttered to see if the poor girl was okay but he couldn't get very far. The small cage was incredibly restricting. She recovered pretty quickly, jumping up and brushing down her dress. She pushed back a lock of hair blushing embarrassingly before peered at him curiously.
'Sorry. Not use to usually non talking things to talk back. A pleasure to meet you Jiminy the cricket.' She held out her hand and then realised her mistake before awkwardly putting it back to her side.
'Uh, thanks but do you think you could let me out and put me back where I was? I mean I wasn't always a cricket and I have a friend who is waiting for me.'
'Oh my I'm so sorry. My Grandma just nabbed you huh? She didn't say anything about you not being a cricket. I mean you're even wearing a jacket.' She noted with a chuckle. That had been a habit that Jiminy couldn't let go of after his transformation. He felt incredibly uncomfortable without them.
'I did try Miss but she couldn't…hear me.' He pointed to where his ears would have been not having any as a cricket.
'Aha I understand, well of course I want to let you go but is it true about crickets being lucky?' She looked increasingly nervous; Jiminy wondered what exactly was happening on this big day tomorrow.
'I'm not so sure about there being any truth in that. I'm sure that you gain your own luck by believing in yourself.'
'Then I have none. There is no way I'm going to do well tomorrow but I have to do it for my family.' Her lack of self-belief disheartened Jiminy so using his abilities as a conscience to Gepetto he decided to help Mulan as much as he could. That had been his path of redemption for years now.
'I know Mulan, how about we test the theory of a cricket's luck and I stay with you until tomorrow for whatever it is you have to do and then you can take me back to the field? I'm sure Gepetto won't miss me for one day.'
'Really? You want to stay?' She asked incredulously with an eager raise of her eyebrows. Jiminy felt that tingly feeling that he got when he had helped someone and smiled a cricket smile.
'What is it that you're so worried about?' He asked holding out his hands before clasping them together. His welcoming gestures often helped people to be more open in his presence.
'Tomorrow the Matchmaker is going to test the maiden's of each family so that they be married and bring honour to their families. I'm not too sure whether I'm ready yet. I get really nervous.' She shrugged absentmindedly stroking Little Brother as if trying to calm her racing thoughts.
'You're going to be matched to a husband? But what of true love?' She didn't answer just looked down nodding her head gently. This isn't what she wants. Her position reminded him of his past and of his parents. He hadn't been forced into any marriage but had been used to help them fulfill their horrid deeds. This wasn't very different.
'Well I can't say I'll be very helpful in that area but if my being there gives you a boost of confidence then I don't see why not!' He elated trying to bring her out of her brooding sadness.
'Thank you Jiminy,' She said quietly with a weak smile and twisted the wooden roof off. Jiminy glad to be stretching his wings again hovered up and out. 'I'll meet you out front at the cart in the morning? Don't worry about my Grandma I'll figure something out.' Jiminy agreed wholeheartedly and she picked another bag of grain and a cask of milk before she walked back into the house. Jiminy watched after her and stroked the handle of his umbrella in worry about how events would turn out tomorrow.